UPDATE: Coast Guard suspends search for 2 people 46 miles east of Jupiter Inlet

united states coast guard 

News Release  

U.S. Coast Guard 7th District Southeast
Contact: 7th District Public Affairs
Office: 305-415-6683
After Hours: 786-367-7649
7th District online newsroom

Coast Guard suspends search for 2 people 46 miles east of Jupiter Inlet

 

MIAMI — Coast Guard crews suspended their search at approximately 5:30 p.m., Wednesday for two missing people 46 miles east of Jupiter Inlet.

Missing are a Bahamian national, a suspected migrant smuggler, and a 9-year-old Haitian national, who went missing after an 18-foot boat capsized, with 11 people aboard, Sunday in an apparent migrant smuggling venture from Freeport, Bahamas to Miami.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Miami received a notification Sunday from a good Samaritan vessel stating they were on scene with nine people in the water from a capsized 18-foot vessel.  

“This case is a tragic reminder of the dangers of illegal migrant smuggling and these smuggling networks reckless regard for those they are trafficking. Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make as first responders, and it is never made lightly,” said Capt. Aldante Vinciguerra, Coast Guard 7th District chief of response.  

Coast Guard rescue crews were composed of Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater HC-130 Hercules airplanes, an Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane, the crews of the Coast Guard Cutters Robert Yered (WPC-1103), homeported in Miami, Moray (WPB-87331), homeported in Port Canaveral, Florida, and Ridley (WPB-87328), homeported in Mayport, Florida. 

Crews searched for a combined total of approximately 69 hours covering 4,154 square miles.

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-USCG-